The North Sea coast is closer to Bruges than most visitors realise. Trains to Blankenberge take 15 minutes. Ostend is 25 minutes. Zeebrugge is accessible by bus in 20 minutes.

Blankenberge has the widest beach and the most facilities — beach cabins, a pier, and plenty of restaurants along the seafront. It gets busy in July and August, but the beach is enormous and you can always find space.

Ostend is larger and more cosmopolitan. The Mu.ZEE modern art museum is excellent. The fish market on the harbour sells the freshest seafood you'll find anywhere — buy a bag of grey shrimp (grijze garnalen) and eat them on the sea wall. They're tiny, sweet, and addictive.

Zeebrugge is the quietest option. It's a working port with a nice beach attached. The Seafront maritime theme park is there, and you can watch container ships move through the lock system.

The Belgian coast uses a single tram line — the Kusttram — that runs the entire 67km length of the coast from De Panne to Knokke. Day passes are about €8 and you can hop on and off. It's the longest tram route in the world.

Bring a windbreaker. Even in July, the North Sea wind can be bracing. But when the sun is out and the tide is low, there's nothing better than sitting on the sand with a cold beer and a paper cone of frites.